The present invention relates to a foot securing device with automatic release, particularly usable in rear entry ski boots.
Various devices are currently known which allow to lock and adjust the tension of one or more traction elements arranged inside a boot in order to secure the foot therein.
For the activation of the cable, the same Applicant filed a U.S. Pat. No. 4433456 granted on Feb. 28, 1984 which describes a knob for winding the cable on a spool which remains automatically in locked position by virtue of the presence of ratchet elements which interact with a toothed surface. More specifically, the ratchet elements include a spring loaded pivoting pawl having an engagement tooth adapted for selective releasable engagement with the toothed surface, such toothed surface being defined on a flange whose rotation corresponds to a rotation of the spool. In the locked position of the pawl, the pawl engagement tooth, by means of its engagement with the toothed surface of the flange, does not allow a rotation of the flange in a releasing direction and therefore, since any rotation of the flange corresponds to a rotation of the spool, prevents a corresponding releasing rotation of the spool. For unlocking of the spool to allow an unwinding of the cable thereon, the pawl can be pivoted to an unlocked position in which the pawl engagement tooth does not interfere with the toothed surface of the flange.
In order to release and consequently unwind the cable from the spool it is necessary to rotate said knob in the opposite direction, such knob being provided with an actuation projection which, when the knob is rotated in the opposite direction, contacts a shoulder of the pawl which pivots the pawl to a disengagement position in which the pawl engagement tooth does not interfere with the toothed surface so that the flange is free to rotate in the direction corresponding to the unwinding rotation of the spool.
Though it is obviously valid in its conceptual embodiment, said device has a disadvantage for the user which is due to the need to actuate the knob both during locking and during release.
This operation can be intrinsically unpleasant considering that the actuation knob is generally mounted on the rear quarter and the skier usually grips it wearing gloves.
As a partial solution to this disadvantage, the same Applicant filed on July 23, 1985 a patent application Ser. No. 21669 A/85, which discloses a foot securing device with an automatic release assembly which comprises a pointer which interacts with locking means, engaging a spool for winding a cable, and with the quarter when it is closed, said locking means disengaging from the spool when the quarter is opened.
However, even this device has disadvantages: it is in fact possible to cause an accidental release due, for example, to a lack of pressure exerted at the pointer.
Said device furthermore does not allow the partial opening of the quarters, for example when walking, since the pointer does not exert an adequate pressure when the rear quarter is even slightly open.
In rear-entry ski boots, it is common to employ a padding which is upwardly associated at the rear quarter and downwardly overlaps a flap which protrudes from the shell and usually interacts with the foot securing cable.
Such padding renders the mentioned pointer intrinsically unusable, since the pointer is not sufficiently spaced from the flap.